Improvement in sled-propellers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEa CHARLES SGHWAGER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT' IN SLED-PROPELLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 171,179, dated December 14, 187 5; application filed A September 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SCHWAGEE, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in Sled-Propellers, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention relates to an improvement in devices for propelling a sled over ice by a person sitting astride it, and is more particularly designed as an improvement upon the sledpropeller for which Letters Patent No. 164,221 were issued to myselfl and Joseph Wissen on June 8, 1875. The invention consists, first, in operating' the propeller of each side by anindependent crank, whereby the rider can govern the course of the sleigh; and, secondly, in providing each fulcrunl-lever with a spring-point to yield to any unevenness of the surface, and to give the levers'a longer bearing thereon.

Figure l is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a cross-section at a' :12. a

In the drawing, A represents a sled, to the sides of which two plates, B B, are secured. C C are two independentlycranked shafts,

` journaled at their outer ends through the tops of the side plates. Their inner ends'are journailed in a short standard, a, rising from the center of the sled. At the outer end of each shaft is a face-plate, b, with a wrist-pin, c, to

which is strapped the top of a lever, D, longi1 tudinally slotted. The slot plays on a fulcrumstud, d, projecting from the side plate.

By turning the cranks backward the levers D- which will allow the point to yield to any inequalities of the surface over which the sled is propelled, at the same time causing it to retain its hold thereon for a longer time than the rigid lever described in our Letters Patent aforesaid. The levers, being actuated independently, allow the rider to steer the sled by running one faster than the other.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. 'lhe combination of the standards B B, face-plates b b, reciprocating levers D' D, and independent crankshafts (l C, when the several parts operate substantially as described and shown.

2. The combination of the standards B B, face-plates b b, reciprocating levers 1D D,^in dependent crank-shafts C U, and standards a, when the several parts operate substantially as described and shown.

3. The yielding points D2, in combination with the levers D, as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES SGHWAGER. Witnesses:Y

LoUIs HOFFMANN, S. D. WHAETON. 

